UK Government Flashcards by Emma Gandy

Name 6 key developments in the UK Constitution and their year

Magna carta (1215)
Bill of rights (1689)
Act of settlement (1701)
Parliament act I (1911)
Parliament act II (1949)
European communities act (1972)

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What was the significance of: the magna carta, the bill of rights, the act of settlement

MC: First time people had power: free trials, Church free from royals

Bill of rights: Free elections, freedom of speech in Parliament

Act of Settlement: Parliament can choose monarch, monarch needs parliament consent for war

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What was the significance of: Parliament Acts, European communities act

PA 1911: Removed power from Lords

PA 1949: Further removed Lords power - delay bill by 1 yr

ECA: UK joined 3 European institutions, no UK law can contradict EU law, challenging P. sovereignty

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Name 5 constitutional reforms passed after 1997, their date, and what party passed them

Human Right Act 1998 (Lab)

House of Lords Act 1999(Labour) and 2014(Con)

FOI act 2000 (Lab)

FTPA act 2011 (Con)

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Name 3 sources of the UK constitution and examples

Academics: AV dicey

Convention: queen signs all legislation

International treaties: UK NATO affects decisions

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Name 2 examples where the UK constitution doesn’t defend citizens rights

No rights entrenched due to parliamentary sovereignty

FOI requests often refuse

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Name a way that the UK constitution defends citizen’s rights

Certain acts passed e.g HRA - could be abolished theoretically but would be very hard to in practice

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Name 3 ways where individual rights and collective rights are in disagreement

Free speech/Freedom from discrimination

Right to privacy/Free press

Individual freedom from discrimination/Collective freedom of religiom

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Name 3 examples of Parliament checking the executive

Parliamentary questions: PMQs

Oppositions: chooses debate topic 20 days per year

Select Committees: departmental committees ‘shadow’ government departments and scrutinise the spending, administration and policy of each department

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Name 3 theories of parliamentary representation in action

Burkean: Rees-Mogg consistently votes against gay people

Constituency: MPs ‘redress of grievances’ procedure after exams in COVID

Delegate: Zac Goldsmith resigned in 2016 after party backed a 3rd runway at Heathrow

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Name an example of the whip system weakening the Burkean model of representation

21 Tory MPs voted to block a no deal Brexit and had the whip removed

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Name a significant investigation by a select committee, the date, and a drawback

Media, culture and sport 2011 inquiry into phone hacking scandal - summoned many witnesses

Rupert Murdoch still v successful

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Name an example of a collective responsibility resignation

Iain Duncan Smith resigned over welfare reforms in 2016 - couldn’t support party

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Name an example of an individual responsibility resignation

Priti Patel dismissed for breaching ministerial code after having secret meetings with Israeli officials

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Name 3 examples of the PM enacting his roles

Handling national crises - COVID

Manage relationship with Parliament: PMQs

Foreign relations: COP26, G7

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Name 4 examples of the PM determining policy making (and for 2 of these, their drawbacks)

Blair - Good Friday Agreement

Johnson - COVID COBRA meetings

Blair - Iraq invasion 2003 (reports about WMDs were false)

Thatcher Poll Tax 1990 (pushed through gov., warnings ignored)

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Name 2 examples of cabinet ministers being removed, one personal scandal and one during a cabinet reshuffle

Personal scandal: Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab

Cabinet Reshuffle: Gavin Williamson

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Name 2 ways policy is made, and an example of these (UK)

Government decisions e.g Levelling Up

Senior civil servants e.g Government economic service, 2012 olympics

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Name 2 ways Cabinet has been limited in recent years

Less frequent meetings

Takes fewer decisions than in past

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Name an example of the PM preventing Cabinet from deciding on policy

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Thatcher kept the issue of joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism away from Cabinet to avoid challenge

Name an example of a vote of no confidence removing the government

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1979 James Callaghan after Scottish Devolution Bill defeated

Name an example of the PM appointing Cabinet committees

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Boris Johnson created the Climate Change Committee in 2019

Name an example of a Cabinet committee considering issues and deciding policy, and decisions being binding

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COBRA committee decisions during COVID

Name an example of descriptive representation in action

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All-women shortlists - Labour

Name 2 examples of reacting policy

Brexit Referendum outcome COVID-19 policy

Name 2 examples of directing policy

Extending free childcare (May manifesto pledge) 2011 AV referendum (LibDems wanted better chance)

Name an example of a minister resigning after Cabinet failed to settle a dispute

Michael Heseltine over the Westland affair, couldn’t agree over the future of a helicopter company’s rescue bid.

Name 3 examples of limitations of the power of the House of Lords

Hunting Act 2004: invoked P. acts and overrode alords C-LD gov. invoked financial privilege for Welfare Reform Bill so Lords couldn’t debate Cannot vote on confidence motions

What is the current composition of the SC like? (uk)

Justices all white, one woman, many went to private schools and Oxbridge, very educated and experienced

Name 2 examples of ministers acting ‘ultra vires’

2016: Lord Chancellor Grayling acted ultra vires when he amended the Legal Aid Act to introduce a controversial ‘residence test’ in 2012 which prevented aid Boris Johnson 2020 advising queen to suspend Parliament during Brexit was unlawful

Name 2 examples of the UKSC impacting government and parliament

Vote on Article 50 after Miller v. Secretary of State 2017 - referendum was non-binding Limited the significance of the Scotland bill 2018, as certain parts went beyond devolved powers like those relating to control over agriculture

Name an example of judicial review being limited in the UK

Can’t strike down laws, only set precedent

Name an example of the government using parliamentary sovereignty to overturn SC decisions

Gordon Brown introduced Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act, after SC ruled he had acted ultra-vires in HM Treasury v. Ahmed 2010

Name 3 examples of judicial independence being maintained in the UK

Security of Tenure Independent appointments- no ‘secret soundings’ Guaranteed salaries

Name 3 examples of judicial neutrality being achieved

Cannot be involved in parties SC decisions published on website Must have held high judicial office for 2 yrs or be a qualifying practitioner for 15 yrs

Name an example of the European Court of Human rights ruling (ECtHR)

Al Skeini and others v. United Kingdom - caused civilian deaths

Name the most recent piece of legislation relating to each devolved nation and what it created

Scotland Act 2016: power to set income rates and bands, more tax and benefit power Wales Act 2017: Welsh Parliament a permanent feature of UK constitution, assembly and local elections, tax powers Good Friday Agreement 1998: NI allowed some devolved power

Name the pieces of legislation that established Scotland and Wales as devolved nation

Scotland Act 1998 Government of Wales Act 1998

What was the extra stage of the legislative process that gave more power to England, and when was it abolished

English Votes for English Laws, abolished July 2021

Give an example where EVEL would have changed the outcome of legislation

2004 foxhunting ban - had Scottish MPs not voted for, would still be law.

Name an example for and against England being further devolved

For: 2004 foxhunting ban Against: Regional Assembly for NE rejected in 2004

What is an example for Westminster having limited power due to devolution?

Agreed not to devolve on Scottish matters without consent in Scotland Act 2016 Scotland and Wales have primary legislative powers, challenging Parliamentary sovereignty

Name an example of the devolved nations being limited in power

Limited in defence, Brexit negotiations

Name an example of devolution causing varying policy in the UK

COVID restriction

name 2 examples of pm policy BEFORE 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad

- Poll Tax, 1990, Thatcher, flat tax rate that was very unpopular and led to her resignation - Right to Buy, 1980, Thatcher, council house tenants can buy houses, helped tenants onto proerty ladder

name 3 examples of PM policy AFTER 1997: date, what PM, what it was, was it good/bad

- Iraq war, 2003, Blair, war in Iraq, unpopular as there weren’t actually WMDs in Iraq and lost trust with public - Counter terrorism act, 2008, Gordon Brown, responded to current situation with 7/7 bombings, but was overturned by a later 2015 Act - Austerity, David Cameron, 2010-2019, aimed to reduce UK budget deficit but caused major inequality and worse public services

Name an example of common law

Murder

Name 3 statistics showing underrepresented groups in the House of Commons

35% women 3% muslim 10% minority ethnic backgrounds

UK Government Flashcards

(48 cards)